Germany says it wants Greece to remain part of the eurozone and wants good relations with its fellow EU member. However, Chancellor Angela Merkel concedes Athens must commit to implementing structural reforms to pay back the bailout money.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made a trip into the lion’s
den on Monday for talks with Merkel concerning the progress his
country is making to pay back the bailout money Athens owes.

In his first trip to Berlin as PM, Tsipras added that Greece was
taking steps to increase the collection of taxation and also
stamp out corruption. However, perhaps his biggest message was
one of trying to form unity between the two nations and leave bad
blood between them in the past.

"Please, let's leave these shadows of the past behind
us," Tsipras said, stressing that the European Union could
help stabilize Greece.

"Today's democratic Germany has nothing to do with the
Germany of the Third Reich that took such a toll of blood,"
he said, which comes on the back of disputes Athens and Berlin
have had concerning the payment of war reparations dating back
from the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II.

He added that stereotypes that had been created over the last few
years needed to be broken.

“Neither are the Greeks lazy, nor are the Germans responsible
for all the ills that take place in Greece," Tsipras said.

Greece will present reforms list by Monday, government
spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis said on Tuesday. (DPA)

Government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis says Greece will
present a package of reforms to its creditors, which will “be
done at the latest by Monday,” he told Mega TV, according to
Reuters.

Greece says it is instigating these reforms, which have been
championed by Germany. Speaking to RT, Greece’s Minister for
Administrative Reform Giorgos Katrougalos says he believes Athens
is making progress and that his country is seeking a better
understanding and a better climate between the two sides.

“The writing off of the debt is now not on the table and we
are now at a kind of bridge between the former austerity program
and what we hope to achieve for June, which is a new contract for
growth for Greece,” Katrougalos said.

Greece believes that progress can be made as both parties at the
negotiating tables have moved away from what Katrougalos called
“neo-liberal program.” However, he stressed that his
country must try to make the reform plans “more
concrete.”

“What we are trying to achieve is to have time and political
space in order to implement our social program of reform to
provide immediate relief to the victims of a humanitarian crisis
and to the poor and the disabled,” Katrougalos added,
speaking to RT.

The EU is currently holding back crucial financial aid, which is
needed by Greece. Some officials from the eurozone claim Athens
could run out of money by the end of April. Last week, the Greek
parliament passed a “humanitarian crisis” bill, which
would provide relief emergency housing and food to the country’s
poorest, despite attempts by the European Commission to scupper
it.

During his talks with Merkel, Prime Minister Tsipras slammed the
EU for putting Greece in a situation in which tens of thousands
of people are left starving.

“Is this the Europe that we are dreaming of? Is this the
Europe that we are building? This is the Europe that with its
choices has triggered a humanitarian crisis and admits it did
so,” Tsipras said in his speech at the Bundestag in Berlin.

A poll by the German state television channel ZDF states that 52
percent of Germans want Greece booted out of the Eurozone.
However, this was not a sentiment shared by Merkel, who says
she’s committed to Greece staying within the single currency and
considers all European states as equals and wants good relations
with all of them.

Merkel added that she had “high hopes” from her meeting
with Tsipras, a phrase that was greeted by much laughter from
within the German parliament, how like many German’s have grown
tired by what they believe is a Greece that is failing to stick
to its promises.

Greece has said it is impossible to make debt payments if it
doesn’t receive more financial help in the next few weeks. Head
of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi says he’s ready to
start supporting Greece’s banks again, as long talks between
Athens and its creditors get back on track.

This is seen as crucial for Greece as it would allow the
country’s banks to tap into ECB credit, by using Greek government
bonds as security. At present, Greek banks have been forced to
borrow money at higher rates from the Greek central bank.